Keisuke flipped the page quickly, eager to read on. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Tetsuya stir, stretching luxuriously.
His friend yawned. "Ah, nice nap, heheh." He rubbed an eye, trying not to awaken Yui with his movements. "Oi, Keisuke, what'd I miss? Nothin' important, right?"
Keisuke sweatdropped. "Baka."
"Eh, what's that?" He glanced at the clock. "Ch, I've only been out for an hour or so. I couldn't have missed THAT great of a chapter, could I?"
The college boy sighed. "Let me catch you up, pal." He held up one finger for emphasis. "One, Tasuki's an Element, but he didn't go to their side. Two, Koji, Ritsuka, Akai and Tasuki went out to fight Taiyou and Tsuki. Three, Chichiri went to help them 'cause they were in trouble, and killed Tsuki by sacrificing himself. Four, Tasuki killed Taiyou, but is beat up really bad. Five, Chichiri isn't actually dead, and Setsuka kidnapped him, but Kiori saved him from Takkan with Mizu and Tsuchi's help."
"Oh, so, nothin' too serious, ne?" Tetsuya said with a chuckle.
Keisuke hit him with the book.

Tasuki was awakened by the feeling of something wet nuzzling the back of his eyelids. The seishi's eyes fluttered open, looking straight into the sad face of Tama. He sat up, pushing the cat off, and little by little seeped back into conscious thinking. The seishi sat up, looking around and realizing he was in his own room. His shoulder throbbed dully, as did the areas on the front of his body that had been wrapped tightly with bandages. Tasuki moaned softly; the sleeping medicine Akai had given him still hadn't completely worn off, and his most recent waking hours were a blur.
Tasuki paused for a moment, numbed mind knowing that something wasn't right. Something he was hearing- or rather, wasn't hearing. The seishi realized suddenly that his ears had unconsciously been straining to hear the sounds of Chichiri's snores in the next room... the snores that he'd never hear again.
Tasuki put his head on the hand that wasn't fastened to his side with a sling, sighing heavily. Koji had told him, right before he passed out, that the monk wasn't dead when Setsuka had taken him. Could he still be alive? Was there even a chance?
"Chichiri," Tasuki said quietly. "I can't feel your ki, anywhere. Are you just too weak, and too far away for me to sense it? Or are you really..." he sighed again. "I almost don't wanna know, but I have to think the worst."
The seishi was surprised to find that he wasn't angry, or even depressed. He just felt sort of... numb. Completely empty, as if a part of his heart had been ripped away. Tasuki took a long, deep breath- he'd never felt so alone.
"I really am the last one, then," he murmured softly. He managed the smallest chuckle. "Huh, the pyromaniac, the fighter, the tactless, crazy one who never knew when to quit... whatta fucked up twist of fate."
"Nya," Tama said sadly, nuzzling against Tasuki's chest.
The seishi stroked the animal absent-mindedly. "Yeah, it sucks, doesn't it Tama-neko? Yer out another master, and I'm out another friend."
He sighed. Tasuki stood slowly, going to his window and watching the rain pound down on the ground outside. Now that he was fully awake, his shoulder didn't just throb- it flat out hurt, as did the burns that laced his face, arms, hands and chest. He put a hand to his chest- his heart hurt, in its own way, as well. The seishi actually smiled, though it was a humorless, bitter smile. "Only one thing I know that'll heal everythin', fer a while anyway."
He opened the door to his room, glad that the small walkway outside the palace rooms had roofs, and started to make his way to the kitchens. There was a bottle- or, maybe, several bottles- of sake calling his name.
Tasuki happened to be walking past the training rink when he thought he heard a voice from inside. The seishi stopped, sharp ears trying to hear over the clap of thunder and steady thrum of rain. There it was again! A muffled, barely audible voice- cursing, and crying, from the sound of it. Concerned, Tasuki gave up the cover of the walkway and strode through the wooden doors of the training rink.
He froze, blinking back rain water and watching with disbelieving eyes.
Ritsuka was standing near the archery ring, bow in hand. She paid no heed to the rainwater which pounded off her back and shoulders and down to the muddy earth below- all her attention was focused on the rhythmic practice of fitting arrow to bow, aiming, and firing at the distant target. She winced or cursed everytime she shot- obviously it was hurting her cracked rib- but other than that made no noise.
Tasuki took a couple steps to her. "Red?"
"What the hell d'you want!?" she snapped unhappily, voice breaking. Tasuki now knew that the water on her cheeks wasn't just rain. "Can't you see I'm busy!?"
"What are you doing?" Tasuki asked gruffly. "It's freezing out here, and yer in no condition t'be doin' much of anythin'."
"Shut up!" she shrieked, firing off another arrow. "I'm not going in, I'm gonna stay out here, and I'm gonna get better, and tougher, and then no one'll ever have to save me."
"Red..."
"Buzz off! I'm not in the mood to argue!" Ritsuka sniffed hard. "Chichiri died because of me, because I was too stupid and weak to do anything against Taiyou! Don't you understand that!? I just sat there, just sat there like some silly girl waiting for her man to save her!"
"Red, you know as well as I do Chichiri didn't..." Tasuki couldn't bring himself to say it. "We ALL needed help, everyone does sometimes."
"Not me!" she barked back. "I don't need anyone... especially men running around trying to give me hand, asking if I'm all right... I don't need that, Tasuki-chan! I can take care of myself, and if I can't, then I'll train, and I'll get stronger until I can. Until I can say that I don't need anybody helping me..."
"What is your problem!?" Tasuki asked, sounding about as exhasperated as he felt. "There's nothing wrong with a little help! And besides, it ain't all yer fault, an' you know that!"
"He was in that situation because of me," she argued stubbornly. "He was in that situation because he had to save me... damn him... dammit all..." She let loose two more arrows in rapid succession, grunting in pain. "And then, then I was stupid enough to let that WOMAN... that evil, horrible..." another arrow and another wince, "I just sat there, didn't even know she was there, let her take him, just like that..."
Tasuki frowned; he didn't like seeing his friend beating herself up like this. "Listen, Red, I know yer mad about what happened- I am too. But this ain't the way t'go about it. You'll kill yerself if you keep this up."
"Then so be it," she muttered darkly. "I should be dead, it's Chichiri's fault, for being so bloody brave, noble... just like a guy, like some stupid guy trying to be so manly..." She swayed slightly, touching a hand to her bandaged forehead and closing her eyes tightly.
"Now, see, ya gone an' made yerself sick," Tasuki said with a tired sigh. "C'mon, let's get back inside. You c'n dry off, we c'n get good an' drunk an' talk about what all's happened. Here, lemme give you a hand..."
"How many times do I have to say it, baka!?" she cried angrily. "I don't need any help! Not from you, not from Chichiri... God, Chichiri..."
Ritsuka started to reach for another arrow, but Tasuki's uninjured hand caught hers. "Dammit Red, would'ja listen t'me fer once!?" She struggled, but the seishi's hold was tight. "I'm as pissed off as you are, an' prob'ly more, but standin' out here till ya pass out is th' worst solution!"
"Let go of me, baka!" The redhead whirled on Tasuki and slapped him across the face.
Lightning flashed.
Thunder rumbled high above their heads.
Other than that, there was dead silence.
The rain continued to drench their already soaked bodies. The seishi's cheek stung from the unexpected blow, but he still kept a tight hold on Ritsuka's wrist. Sad, defiant blue eyes met sad, stubbon golden ones. For a long moment, neither said a word.
Ritsuka stared at her fellow warrior, wondering if he was going to hit her back. She knew she deserved it, even though she hadn't really meant to hit him... she'd just lost control of herself for a moment, lost in her anger and frustration...
The seishi actually smiled slightly. "Did that make you feel better?" Ritsuka hesitated, not sure if he wanted her to answer or not. "'Cause if it did, go right ahead an' do it again. Go on, I don't mind. If it makes ya feel better, if it'll get ya inside, outta this storm, I can stand here all night and get smacked around." Ritsuka lowered her eyes in shame. "Gomen ne. I, I didn't..."
Tasuki let go of her arm and chucked her chin up with his hand. "Sometimes people do pretty fucked up things when they're pissed off, or grieving, or, hell, in love, or somethin' stupid like that. Like slapping a friend... or tryin' t'kill one."
Ritsuka didn't understand the double meaning to his words, but she did know that he wasn't mad at her for what she'd just accidentally done. She looked up again. "Arigatou, Tasuki-chan..."
"Don't call me that," he said with a small smile. "Now, c'mon, can we get inside now? I'm freezin'. Here, we c'n go back t'my room, it's closest. Swing yer arm over my back. Huh, between my shoulder an' yer head, we oughta make about one full person, doncha think?"

Ritsuka and Tasuki sat on the seishi's bed, both wrapped in about three towels with two blankets apiece over that, attempting to dry off. They talked quietly about what had happened, the redheaded woman's teeth chattering as they did.
"I'm sorry," Ritsuka said after a moment. "I haven't been the easiest person to deal with, have I?"
Tasuki shrugged. "Women make me their punchin' bag, I get used to it." He sipped a cup of wine- he was fresh out of sake, but most of the palace rooms carried a small bottle of alcohol in the cupboard.
She sighed. "I know you don't hate me for it or anything, but I... half the time I've been here you've just been trying to gimme a hand, and all I ever do is snap at you for being helpful."
"Why do you hate help so much, especially from guys?" Tasuki asked. He wasn't sure if he should be prying, but keeping his thoughts hidden had never been his strong point.
Ritsuka took a sip of alchol, playing with the bandage on her head. "Back home, I've got four older brothers. They're all terrors, sexist pigs, and the like. When I was little, I'd try to play sports with them, but of course I was so small I'd get whipped everytime. They'd always tell me, 'Get back inside and learn how to be a girl. You shouldn't be playing boy-games, you should be learning how to cook.'" Ritsuka's fists tightened on the cup. "They bossed me around, just 'cause they were older, and if I tried to fight back they'd say, 'Don't argue with men, Ritsuka, it's their job to guide you through life.'
"And I hated it. I hated the thought... of having to rely on men, and I knew what my brothers told me wasn't true. So I went out and did everything I wasn't supposed to, learned how to fight, never touched a skirt or dress, and I never let anyone help me or tell me what to do... especially boys."
Tasuki stared at her, wide-eyed. "YOU had four evil older brothers who bossed you around, beat you up, made you do ALL the chores?"
"Hai."
Tasuki grabbed her in an awkward, chibi one-armed hug. "Soul mate!"
"Tasuki-chan..." Ritsuka said, sweatdropping at the unusually emotional seishi. "You're scaring me!"
The seishi sat back down, actually chuckling a little. "Gomen... I've got four older sisters of my own."
"Brothers are worse."
"Not compared to my sisters."
The two looked at each other and managed small smiles. Ritsuka sighed, listening to the rain patter against the roof overhead. "Tasuki-chan, d'you mind if I sleep in here tonight?" The seishi stared at her blankly. She held up her hands and blushed. "No, nothing like that. It's just..." she sighed heavily, "the room seems so empty without Kiori. Huh, I even miss the way she'd talk in her sleep, or roll out of the bed and right on top of me..."
Tasuki glanced at the wall of his room; on the other side was where Chichiri used to sleep. He looked back at Ritsuka. "D'you snore?"
She blushed, rubbing the back of her head. "A little."
"Good." Tasuki smiled. "Get your pajamas and some blankets, then. You're sleeping on the floor."
Five minutes later both seishi and college girl were situated in bed and on floor, respectively. Ritsuka looked up at the ceiling through half-closed eyes. "Tasuki-chan, d'you think Kiori and Chichiri will ever come back?"
"You want my honest opinion?"
"Hai."
"No, I don't think we'll ever see either of them again," he admitted drearily.
Ritsuka nodded unhappily. "Yeah, me neither." She paused for a moment, yawning sleepily. "Tasuki-chan, we'll pay those Takkan bastards back ten-fold, won't we?"
"Damn straight," he murmured. "And Red? Don't call..."
"Yeah?"
A sigh. "Nevermind. Oyasumi."
"Oyasumi."
She rolled over so her back was to the seishi. The college girl curled up, shivering slightly- her hair was still wet.
Whump! Ritsuka smiled as one of Tasuki's blankets was tossed without comment over her head.

Kiori walked out of the dark tunnel quietly, nearly running into a young man waiting right outside the secret entrance. "Wha-"
He clapped a hand over her mouth, putting a finger to his lips. "Hush, Rica-san. D'you want some soldier to hear you?" She shook her head, and he removed his hand. "Kita sent me out here to make sure you got home safely. We have complete faith in you, but still..."
The college girl smile. "She was worried, wasn't she?"
The man coughed, but didn't answer her question. "You can call me Aji." He glanced around. "Oh, where's your friend? I was told there'd be two of you." Kiori gestured towards her hat, smothering a chuckle as Aji looked at her in disbelief. "Well, if you say so. I don't go about questioning sorcerors an' the like... follow me."
The rebel man led her down several back alleys- all of which confused her to no end- until they reached the edge of town. Kiori spotted the farmhouse; she assumed Aji would leave her and go back to whatever sort of business he had, but instead he continued to lead her to the nearby farm.
"You know," she remarked, "you don't have to go to all this trouble. I can get there from here all right."
"RAFT head members are having a small meeting out there tonight," he explained. "Besides," the young man turned suddenly, kissing Kiori's hand and saying dramatically, "you're far too pretty to walk unaccompanied!"
The college girl blushed and chuckled, following him to the farmhouse. "Are all the RAFT members actors or something?"
He winked. "With the sort of lives we lead, you have to be able to act to get around the guards and her Ladyship- may she die a thousand deaths." By now they'd reached the door of the farmhouse. Aji knocked on it three times, singing out as he did. "No taxpayers, no soldiers, the coast is all clear. So lemme inside, 'cause it's damn cold out here!"
Kiori chuckled again as the door swung open. A pair of strong female arms pulled them inside, slamming the door quickly behind them. The woman- Kita, Kiori realized- released her and hugged Aji quickly. "What's with all the singin', boy? Who knows who might be walkin' the paths at night?"
He kissed her hands flirtatiously. "Kita, you tough beauty, one chord from my voice'll charm the devil himself, not to mention Setsuka-"
"May she die a thousand deaths," both rebels said simultaneously.
Kita glanced past her rebel friend and to the college girl. "Ah, Rica, glad t'see y'got here safely." She looked around, similar to how Aji had done. "But... uh, where's that friend you was supposed t'bust free?"
Kiori smiled, swinging the kesa off her back carefully. "In here. Oh, and by the way, my real name's Kiori."
"In there?" Kita repeated, pointing towards the hat. Kiori nodded. "Um... if you say so."
The college girl sat down on the floor, setting the hat in front of her on a soft straw bed, so that the opening was facing upwards. "I know it sounds odd, but Chichiri's hat isn't just a hat... Let's see..." Kiori dug her hand around inside. She wrinkled her nose, pulling out an old fruit peel of some sort. "Er, I guess Chichiri kept a lot of stuff in here..." The college girl continued to dig around, pulling out an extra shirt, a comb, a toothbrush, several pairs of socks... but no Chichiri.
Kiori frowned. "How much can a person fit into a hat!?"
Aji and Kita watched wide-eyed as a chibi Kiori turned the hat upside and shook it several times over the bed. Out came two pairs of pants, a jacket, a tarp of some sort- along with several poles that must have been used to make a tent of sorts- various herbs and magical items that no one could identify...
Whump!
Kiori winced as Chichiri's head collided with the floor, fall being broken by the soft straw. "Ah..." Kiori clapped her hands together. "Onegai shimasu Kamisama, don't let him remember that."
The college girl leaned over her patient, checking to make sure she hadn't done anything permanent. He seemed all right- well, as all right as he could be, considering his original condition. Kiori smoothed back a lock of blue hair. "Hang in there, Chichiri. Sorry about that little fall, ah-heh..."
An older woman knelt next to Kiori. "Kon'nichi wa. I'm the owner of this farm. Miss, I've got a fire started. Is there anything special you'd like to eat?"
The college girl looked up. "Oh, that's all right, I need to leave right away. I don't have a moment to lose, and I'm not really that hungry..." Her stomach rumbled, disagreeing with her words.
The woman smiled. "I'll cook some shrimp and stir them in my special sauce, how does that sound?"
Kiori shook her head. "Please, don't worry about me. I'm hungry, and a little tired and all, but," she yawned again, rubbing at a drooping eyelid, "but I just couldn't stay, not with Chichiri the way he is."
Kita put a hand on her friend's shoulder, taking a seat next to her. "Y'won't do yer friend much good if y'fall asleep on yer horse, or starve t'death on th' way back. B'sides," and here she chuckled a little, "after that fall he jus' took, I'd say he'd prob'ly be happy for a break b'fore horse-ridin'. Have somethin' t'eat, then take a good long rest."
The college girl blushed, but couldn't find a good argument to her logic. "Arigatou," she muttered. "You don't have to do this. You hardly know me..."
"Kiori-san, anyone who's an enemy of Setsuka-"
"-May she die a thousand deaths," interjected everyone in the room.
"-Is a friend of the RAFT," Aji finished. He chuckled, ruffling her hair. "An' like a said, you're too cute to let starve."
Kiori couldn't help but smile. It was odd, to find such friendly people right at the heart of enemy territory. She blew a wisp of brown hair out of her eyes, grabbing her medicine bag. "Okay then, if you insist, I'll stay the night here, but..." she rummaged through her bag, pulling out the small vial Tsuchi had given her, along with a few other items. "I still need to do a little bit of work on Chichiri."
Kita waved a hand at a small group of people sitting in one of the dimmed corners of the farmhouse- Kiori recognized Otoo-san among them. "Go nuts, jus' don't strain yerself. We'll be havin' a small meetin' about the recent happenin's, you don't mind...?"
"You offered me help, food, and a place to stay in an alien land," Kiori reminded her. "There are very few things you could talk about that I'd mind."
The college girl got to work on her "patient" while the RAFT members got down to business. Kiori pulled Chichiri's mask back carefully- Tsuchi had done a good job, but he didn't know about the monk's false face. The college girl frowned slightly; there was a deep cut along his forehead, now caked with blood, that she didn't like the look of.
Kiori started to stand, but found a bowl of water and a towel shoved into her hands. She looked up into Aji's smiling face. "Thought you might need these. For yourself an' your friend."
"Arigatou," she felt like she was saying that a lot recently. Kiori dipped the towel in the water, wringing it out carefully, and started to clean up the cut on her patient's forehead. She felt Aji watching her over her shoulder. "Um, Aji-san, if you need to get to the meeting..."
"Oh, sorry, didn't realize I was bothering you," he said with a chuckle. "I've never seen a true healer at work. Hah, if you're this gentle with all your patients I might want to get myself shot tonight." Kiori blushed a little, not sure what to say. "Gomen, I'm embarassing you."
"No, it's..." Kiori's eyes flicked upwards as the farm woman placed a small plate of food in front of her. "Ah, thank you, um..."
"Takamori is the family name," she introduced, smiling pleasantly. "Eat up, please. We aren't fighters, but we do what we can to help the RAFT against..." she chuckled. "I won't say her name, I'm tired of listening to the lot of them chant, 'may she die a thousand deaths.'"
Kiori managed a small laugh as Takamori-san disappeared back into the kitchen. The college girl went back to her work, ignoring her food until Chichiri's face was clean of grime and blood. She applied a small bandage, wiping sweat from her forehead with a sigh.
Kiori grabbed Chichiri's mask, and started to put it back on, when she stopped at the last second. She tucked the mask into his kasa- funny, but she liked him better without it. He seemed more honest this way, like he'd been that day on the walltop.
The college girl smiled a little, tracing a finger over his scar. Odd, how peaceful a person looked when they were asleep. She sent a prayer to God and Suzaku alike to see him home safely- she couldn't bear the thought of losing him.
"It's no good flirting with an unconscious man," Aji hissed in her ear teasingly. Kiori jumped; she hadn't realized he was still there. "Gomen, but these RAFT meetings are all so much alike, it's much more fun to stay over here with you, pretty one."
"You are a hopeless flirt, and I hope Kita-san kicks your ketsu for it later," Kiori muttered, blushing slightly and stuffing her supplies back into her bag. Kiori grabbed a pair of chopsticks and set to work on the food with a will.
Aji chuckled carelessly. "I hope she does too- we like to make up after our skirmishes." He watched her eat for a moment, whistling slightly. "You're packing food away like there's a five-year famine coming."
Kiori smothered a laugh. "There might be. It's a long way back to Konan."
He patted her back lightly, sipping a glass of wine. "Don't worry about all that. The RAFT takes care of it's allies. We'll give you a nice bag of rations to take home with you." He glanced over at the debating rebel members, sighing. "It's always the same thing, everytime. Kita and her group want to start attacking with raids and all, while this young rebellious- hah, bad pun, ne?- fellow called Iya and his followers would rather wait a little longer."
"How d'you feel about everything?" Kiori wondered, finishing up her food and smothering a yawn.
He shrugged. "Not my place, I'll leave that decision up to Kita, Iya and Otoo-san." He nodded in their direction. "They're talking about you, y'know. Your coming has really shook everyone up. Plus with two- well three, in a sense- Elements dead, and all the soldiers away, a lot of people are starting to think we should attack. Just little guerilla attacks, but it's definitely a step up..."
Kita stood up, slapping her hands together for emphasis. "Shimatta, Iya, I know's a risk but sometimes people gotta take risks! How else'll we ever change things 'round here!?"
Aji sighed. "That hot-tempered woman needs to learn how to control herself." He kissed Kiori's hand again, winking at her. "Duty calls, pretty one. Shall I sing you to sleep before I go to calm down the love of my life?"
Kiori couldn't help but laugh at the charmer. "Thanks for the offer, but in truth I don't think I'll sleep much tonight. Suppose something happens to Chichiri while I'm asleep..."
"Ah, if only my girlfriend were as thoughtful as that," he said with a melodramatic sigh. Kiori started to protest the implication that Chichiri was anything but a friend, but Aji put a finger to her lips. "Don't worry about your friend, we will take turns looking after him. If he takes a turn for the worst, I promise to wake you immediately. Will that work?" She nodded, smothering a yawn. He chucked her under the chin. "Then take a rest, pretty one. You deserve it after such a hard day."
A few minutes later Aji made his way over to the heated meeting. Kita stood up again, about to go on one of her infamous rants, when the rebel man silenced her with a quick kiss. "Hush, Kita dear, you don't want to wake our little heroine."
Aji nodded in the direction of the college girl; Kita couldn't help but smile. Kiori was curled up next to the unconscious monk, head resting on the straw bed next to his. She gripped her sash tightly in the one hand; for all the world like a child with its security blanket.

Unaware of what had occured in the cells of her palace, Setsuka was now worried about other important matters. She was having a short meeting with her General in his tent, explaining the new situation.
"I see," Hataku said once she had finished. "Two Elements down, but a powerful seishi to go with them." His Lady nodded in agreement. Hataku put his chin in his hands thoughtfully. "Hm, in the end, we may have won the battle after all. That sorceror, the one called Chichiri... he was strong, very strong."
"Not just that, General," Setsuka remarked, studying her nails and smiling slightly. "He was also the center of their team; the soul of the Konan Fighters, if you will. Many of them are wounded, and all of them are disheartened."
Hataku knew exactly what she wanted. Though hatred still burned in his heart for Setsuka, he was a good general, and respected his Lady as a skilled campaigner. "You want me to attack."
Setsuka patted his cheek, smiling viciously. "How astute of you, Hataku. You always were smart- much smarter than this band of rabble we are forced to work with. Attack, my dear general, and attack with the raw anger that you and your men feel towards the scum who wiped out a quarter of your force."
The general tensed at the thought of battle. "Hai, my Lady!"

Chichiri woke up late that evening. He blinked against the dim light of the farmhouse, moaning softly. He didn't bother trying to move- his entire body ached dully, and even with his mind partially numbed from injuries and fever he still knew that movement would only cause him more pain.
A kindly middle-aged man's face came into view. "Ah, so you're awake, are you? Good, good! Our little Warrior will be glad to know that, very glad indeed."
Chichiri opened his mouth to speak, but only managed a barely audible mumble. "Where'm I?"
He winked. "Safe!" Seeing the monk about to open his mouth again, the man waved a finger in front of his face. "Oh, very well, but I shan't bore you to death with all of the details, no, no, that would take half the evening. Don't think you'll last much longer than a few minutes, hm, if that, you look fit to sleep again already."
Chichiri sighed, closing his eye. He didn't have the energy to deal with this babbling man.
The stranger chuckled. "You may call me Otoo-san. You are in the Takamori farmhouse, just outside of the main village of Takkan." Chichiri's eye snapped open at the name. "Haha, got your attention now, don't I, m'boy?"
"Naze..."
"Don't waste your energy on unnessecary words, quite a nuisance, saying things that don't need to be said," Chichiri didn't bother telling the man that he was a hypocrite. "You were rescued by the combined efforts of my comrades and I, that is to say, members of the RAFT- Rebel Alliance Forces in Takkan, y'know- along with a remarkable young lady, yes, quite the woman she is, I must say."
"Dare?"
Otoo-san nodded towards the figure next to Chichiri. "Why, Rica-chan, you see... but no, wait, excuse me. Her real name's Kiori, yes, of course, silly me."
Chichiri's eye widened slightly. He tried to move his head to see her, giving a startled grunt of pain as he did. Otoo-san frowned. "Best not do that, no reason to beat yourself up more than you already are. And you are quite the sight, hm, hai hai, never seen anyone go through what you must've gone through and lived." He chuckled a little. "Ah, but then again, I suppose I have, now. Congratulations, Konan Warrior."
"M'name's Chichiri..."
"Right, right, pardon me," his head bobbed up and down hurriedly as he said this. "Is there anything I can get you, something you might need? Nothing's too much for one of our Konan allies, of course."
"Water..." his stomach rumbled slightly. "Food... on'gai?"
Otoo-san couldn't help but chuckle. "Always polite, I like that in a person... yes, yes, right away, I'll get you some water, and, hm, maybe some egg drop soup? Nothing too hard to eat, nothing strenuous, wouldn't want to wear you out that quickly, hah..."
The man disappeared from Chichiri's range of vision. The monk looked upwards, concentrating solely on the simple task of inhaling and exhaling. Funny, you never really thought about breathing until it became a laborous task, then it seemed like the only important thing. His mind trailed back to the few things he could remember about the past few days... the fight, the attack, waking up in a dark, cold room once in a while... and now...
'Why am I not dead?' he wondered sleepily, remembering how much pain he'd been in back on the battlefield- and how much pain he was in, even now. His unbroken arm slid down from the straw bed, fingers touching a familiar hand. He smiled slightly. "Kiori..."
"Ah, here we are, here we are," Chichiri heard the strange older man before he saw him. Otoo-san sat down next to the bed again, a steaming bowl in one hand and a glass of water in the other. "Hm, well, don't suppose you'll have the energy to hold these, will you? Not at all, not at all... Open up then, if that's the way we'll have to do things... hm, never been a nurse before, not a bad time to start learning, I guess, heh..."
Otoo-san continued to chatter as he alternated between water and soup, more-or-less explaining about the RAFT and their reasons for being against Setsuka- whose name always seemed to be followed by "may she die a thousand deaths."
Chichiri finished off the water, but left about half the soup still in the bowl. He blinked back sleep. Otoo-san seemed to understand that the monk needed some rest. "Ah, well, I should just leave you alone. No reason to keep a person up just to hear another person chatter on about things they don't care about, agreed? Hm, well, I'll be just over here, if you need anything, don't be afraid to give a shout to Otoo-san." He tipped his feathered hat respectively, then disappeared from vision.
Chichiri's eyelid drooped closed. As he slipped out of the realms of conscious thinking and back into the world of dreams, his hand curled around Kiori's. Chichiri smiled slightly. It was good to be alive.

Setsuka hadn't been able to sleep for most of the night. Her string of victories thus far, along with the thought of the battle in the morning were making her restless. She glanced out her chamber window every few minutes, impatiently awaiting the break of dawn.
Unable to sit around any longer, Setsuka dashed down the stairs as the sun rose, going to check on her hostage. She chuckled viciously to herself. "I hope that seishi is still alive... if Tsuchi did not complete his task it would be most unfortunate- for both of them."
She rounded a corner, headed down a long hallway, went around another corner, and finally down the short flight of stairs to the cellars. "Ah, my little hostage..." As the door to the cell swung open, Setsuka stopped short.
Her Ladyship froze. Her eyes widened slightly.
The small room was completely empty of any life whatsoever, unless you counted the couple of roaches skittering along the ground and the moss growing in the corners. Setsuka's head whirled from side to side, searching for a seishi that was no longer there.
"Doko wa... doko wa..." the Lady's fists curled angrily at her sides. She clenched her teeth in blind rage, ki blazing about her body.
Kaze, Sora, Tsuchi and Mizu all sprung awake, feeling Setsuka's displeasure. The latter two's mouths went dry with fear; they knew what her rage was spawned from.
"WHERE IS THAT SEISHI!?"

Hataku was unaware of his Lady's new problems. He was in his element, calling out orders to soldiers and captains alike, urging them to wake up and prepare for war. The general looked at the pale golden sun rising in the east, managing a flicker of a smile. All he needed was one victory to get support from his soldiers- with an army at his back, Setsuka would be forced to agree to any terms he decided on later during the war.
"C'mon you lazy lot, up on your feet and get dressed! Get your weapons and let's get going! The Konan Warriors had a hard battle last night- now is our time to strike!"
"Huh, what's th' hurry?" one particularly insolent soldier by the name of Tori mumbled. "I dun' see why anyone'd be excited about gettin' their ketsu kicked by that group o' wizards 'n' such- yeek!"
Hataku grabbed the young man by the ear, frowning unhappily. "What's that? Thoughts of mutiny? Don't trust your commander?"
"Er, no sir, ahah, that's not it t'all..."
"Well, get this through your thick skull!" Hataku snapped. "We have one of their seishi locked safely away in Takkan Palace, and the other's so beat up he won't be able to lift an arrow, much less fire one!"
A slow smile spread upon Tori's face. "Ah, I see whatcha mean, Gen'ral!"
Hataku smirked, releasing his hold. "That's right, you're catching on now. Now, get ready for a good battle- I can taste victory."

Setsuka stormed up the palace steps, temper worsening the closer she got to her chamber. The seishi was gone... somehow, that injured man had managed to escape...
"Even a seishi can't just get up and walk around after a hit like that," she muttered to herself, ignoring the strange looks servants were giving her. "Someone let him escape... someone in my palace..."
She pushed the doors to her private room open with surprising strength, nearly knocking them off their hinges. Setsuka grabbed the nearest thing at hand- a wall hanging- and ripped it down savagely. She paced her room angrily, trying to think of who it could have been.
She touched each of her gems in turn. All four were still in the palace, and Tasuki was a respectable distance away. "Besides," she told herself, "Kaji was in no shape to come running over here in two days' time and rescue that seishi..."
She whirled quickly, nearly losing her balance on the smooth floor. "Who could it have been... one of those other Konan Warriors, maybe? Yes, or maybe a RAFT member, damn those rebels..." she shook her head. "No, not them, they're too cowardly to try a stunt like that. It must have been a Warrior, there doesn't seem to be any other explanation..."
Setsuka sat in a chair with an exhasperated sigh. A complete stranger couldn't just walk in here, down to the cells and walk out unnoticed. She touched her gems again, this time searching her Elements' feelings. Kaze seemed the same as always- restless, ready for battle... Sora was her normal calm, untouchable self... Setsuka's hand stayed for several seconds on Tsuchi's- the boy was worried about something.
Her eyes narrowed. "Of course... he was down there... but would he have done that?" She drummed her fingers on her leg unhappily. "Only one way to find out, I suppose."
"Tsuchi!" she called through the gem.
"Y-yes?" the frightened answer came back.
"Get up to my room, immediately. I need to speak with you about something."
"H-hai... right away."
Setsuka let go of the gem. She was becoming more and more suspicious of Tsuchi by the second. He had sounded terrified, but also- could it be?- almost rebellious. Setsuka frowned thoughtfully, more troubled by something that would, to most, seem relatively simple.
He hadn't referred to her as "my Lady."

Kiori forced herself to wake up early that morning; she wanted to get a head start on the soldiers she was sure Setsuka would send after her. The college girl looped a bag of supplies across Kenichi's back- along with her own medicine bag- and prepared the difficult task of getting Chichiri situated on the animal.
Aji and Otoo-san lifted the seishi carefully between them, making sure not to jerk him in any direction. Kita directed them towards the horse, then assisted the two men in lifting the seishi onto the animal's back.
Kiori hopped on behind Chichiri, getting the sleeping monk situated in as comfortable a position as possible. She blushed a little when she realized his head was resting on her chest, but figured he wouldn't wake up anyway, so there was no cause for embarassment.
Kita patted the horse's side. "Well, looks like yer good t'go, Kiori. Get back to Konan all right, and make sure yer friend stays alive."
"That's one promise I know I'll keep," Kiori told her. She looked at her friend. "I hope he's okay... he's been asleep for such a long time, now..."
Otoo-san smiled slightly. "Oh, Kiori-chan, I forgot to mention that your friend woke up last night." Kiori's eyes widened. "Now now, don't worry, I didn't wake you up because you needed your sleep. He was only awake for a little over a half hour, as it is."
Aji chuckled. "You didn't know? Did you think his hand got looped in yours by pure accident?" The college girl blushed. Aji's laughter rang through the clearing. "Ah, pretty one, don't flush so bright a red, it's an unbecoming color on you." He kissed her hand, winking devilishly. "Be careful, and stay safe. If something were to happen to you, why, I'd drown myself in the river in sadness."
Kiori couldn't help but smile at the frivolous young man. "I'll do that. And good luck to you, too."
Kita flashed her a thumbs-up. "Kakumu* is just around the corner, I know it." She slapped the horse again, getting it to break into a quick walk. "Ganbare, Kiori! Let's hope we all live to spit on the grave of Setsuka-"
Four voices echoed resoundingly across the field. "May she die a thousand deaths!"

*A/N: Revolution. Thank you Revolutionary Girl Utena for teaching me that delightlful word!

Koji had always made it a point to get up early- on days when he wasn't drinking the night before, that is- and this day was no exception. The bandit leader woke up just an hour or so after dawn, restless and more than a little bit frustrated.
He paced his room unhappily, hating the feeling of utter helplessness that he'd been having a lot recently. "Genrou's hurt... more ways'n one, too... I ain't allowed t'do nothin' strenuous fer a couple-a days... back still stings from that damn doctor and his alcohol- always knew alcohol was meant t'go in yer mouth, not on yer cuts... Kiori's run off... and Chichiri... dammit, Chichiri..."
The bandit leader slid the door of his room open, ignoring the dull ache in his back and striding down to the kitchens. He found the cooks already busy fixing breakfast- Koji nodded politely to the head woman.
She waved a ladle at him, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. "Go on with you, Koji-sama, we won't have food ready for another couple of hours. You'd be best to get some sleep, I heard you got beat up in that battle the other day."
"That ain't the half of it," he said with a sigh, leaning against the counter. "I ain't hungry anyway, ma'am, I jus' came in t'grab somethin' t'drink."
She gave him a disapproving look. "Koji-sama, drinking so early? Why, it isn't even nine o'clock yet."
He managed the barest hint of his usual cocky smile. "Early t'rise, early t'drink, early t'pass out. Always been my motto. An' anyway, I need it- I've had a couple-a tough days."
She sighed sadly, crossing her arms over her chest. "Hai, I know well enough. Akai-san has been coming in here every once in a while- looks like a lost puppy. Her Majesty hasn't been her usual self either."
Koji didn't feel like discussing it- he wanted to be alone to quietly steam. The bandit slid past the plump cook, grabbing a bottle of sake from the rack of drinks and a small cup. He touched his forehead politely. "Arigatou, an' you c'n be assured that the bottle'll be put t'good use."
She swatted him lightly with her ladle, chuckling a bit. "I'm sure it will, you drunkard. Now get on with you, before I tell Dr. Yukeda that one of his patients is getting into the liquor supply."
Koji ducked out of the hot kitchens into the cool morning air. His gaze turned to the faint rays of dawn that were just creeping over the Konan wall. He frowned; usually his sharp hazel eyes could pick out the faint flecks of red- Chichiri's barrier- but today he didn't notice a single red glint on the horizon.
A wave of fear washed down Koji's back. "Since Chichiri... does that mean th' shield collapsed when he...?" He paused for several long seconds, practically ordering the familiar red glint to appear. Nothing. "Damn, let's hope those Takkan guys don't get any ideas on attackin', or we're screwed."
The bandit sighed, heading back to his room. As he passed the door of Tasuki's room, he stopped for a moment. Koji didn't hear anything for a long moment, then, in a muffled voice, he heard Tasuki mutter in his sleep.
"Chichiri... don' leave me alone... Taiyou ga kisama... Chichiri..."
Koji bit his lip hard, kicking at a rock angrily. The bandit leader stormed down the hallway back to his room, slamming his door behind him. "I'm his best friend, his best friend, for Suzaku's sake... of all the people in the world, I should be the one who c'n talk t'him, make him feel better... yet I'm so damn helpless!"
The bandit leader sat down on his bed with a discouraged sigh. It was true, he was Tasuki's best friend, but there were some aspects of his seishi comrade that he'd never understand. It was one of the things that made him a Celestial Warrior, there was no other real explanation.
Koji sat with his chin in his hands, sipping his glass of sake every once in a while. "Chichiri was more'n a best friend, though- he was like a brother, a soul mate. Shit, how can I compete with that?"
Outside his room door, he dimly heard someone shouting in the barracks. "Attack! Attack! Takkan forces coming from the north! Up on the wall, every able-bodied warrior!"
The bandit stood impulsively, but sat back down fast when he realized that he was in no condition to be fighting. He poured himself a full glass of sake, downing it in one swift gulp. He had a feeling he might need another bottle before the day was out.

Tsuchi trodded to Setsuka's chamber, feet dragging along the ground as if they were chained to lead weights. He knew what was coming, and he knew if she asked him he would tell her everything, down to the last minor detail. Tsuchi also knew what was sure to come after- the thoughts of what Setsuka might do to him sent chills down the boy's spine.
The doors squeaked slightly as Tsuchi pushed them open. At the end of the room sat the Lady he had worshipped for so long. The teenager took a deep breath and strode across the room, trying to keep his knees from shaking. As he reached her chair, he bowed low, though he didn't touch his head to the floor. "H-hai?"
Setsuka studied her nails. "The prisoner is gone. The seishi. He escaped."
"E-escaped...?"
"Yes, that's right," she said innocently, as if she was merely having a simple discussion about the weather with him. "Somehow, he managed to escape. Now, Tsuchi, do you know how that could have happened?"
"Um..."
"Perhaps you gave him too much medicine, and he was instantly healed and fled from the room?" her voice now had a dangerous note to it. "Or perhaps a Konan Warrior cast a spell on the palace, snuck in, and stole him while we were frozen in time? Or maybe... perhaps..." she dug her nails into the chair, glaring venemously at Tsuchi. "You allowed him to escape!"
The young boy froze under her cold gaze. As their eyes met, Tsuchi fought bitterly to lie his way through this... but in the end, his obedience to the Lady won out. "Hai, Setsuka-sama, I'm guilty," he said quietly.
The Lady of Takkan paused; she hadn't expected him to crack that easily. "Beg pardon?"
"I said, I'm guilty," he repeated, voice barely audible. "A young woman came to the cell. I was there at the time."
"And you let her go," Setsuka said contemptuously.
"And I let her go," he agreed, voice trembling.
Setsuka frowned sadly. "Tsuchi, do you understand what this means? That is direct treason- not just treason, but treason to me," she actually sounded hurt. "By law, you should be killed on the spot for such a terrible act."
The Element's courage left him almost completely at the gruesome thought. He threw himself flat on the floor, touching his head to the ground. "Oh Setsuka-sama... I... I don't... onegai... death...?"
The Lady smiled, knowing that Tsuchi couldn't see it. He had been straying, for a moment, but Setsuka believed that her tie still binded the Element just as tightly as ever. Her voice was as sweet as honey. "There, there, Tsuchi. I will not kill you. Silly boy, to think that I would do something like that to you." She lifted his chin in her smooth hand, forcing him to look her in the eyes. "You are just a child, after all. I'm sure she tricked you, somehow, didn't she, my dear?"
"She didn't... it was me... I did it of my own free will..." he tried to break free of her eyes, but couldn't do it.
Her mind raced; she could feel him trying to pull away from her will. Setsuka kept her hand on his chin, lifting it forwards so they were nearly nose-to-nose. "No matter the case, what you did is still very serious. I am getting very tired of waiting for you to grow up!" her voice had risen to a deadly snarl. "Tsuchi, we must catch those Warriors at all costs. Follow my orders if you wish to redeem yourself. Understood?"
He said nothing, golden eyes staring into silver ones wordlessly.
"You are to lead a small group of soldiers after them. Find their trail, track them down and catch them like the rats they are," she smiled her evilest. "Kill the girl, preferably as brutally as possible. Bring the seishi back to me- now that he is out of imminent danger, I'd like to have a little fun with him. Are my orders to be followed, Tsuchi?"
The Element stared into her eyes, desperately struggling against her power. His thoughts turned to that girl, the healer who had been ready to die to save her friend... he thought of the one called Chichiri, helpless, injured... lastly, he thought of Setsuka, and what she'd do to the monk once they got him back to the palace...
'This woman could never be on the right side of things!' he realized suddenly. 'She's evil, through and through, to want to do those sorts of things to her ANYBODY...'
He now looked at Setsuka in a new light. He gazed at the woman whom he had revered, loved, and feared for so long- and realized he now hated her with a deep passion. She had manipulated him, tricked him, used him for her own sick purposes... how could he have ever loved this evil woman?
"Iie."
Setsuka's eyes widened. She pulled his chin up, so he was on eye level with her. "What did you say!?"
Tsuchi's voice was louder this time. "Iie."
The Lady felt a band of power snap. She pulled back slightly, staring at Tsuchi in amazement and wonder. 'He broke free! This... this mere boy broke free of my will!? But... but how...?'
The Element smiled carelessly. "You evil woman, I will never do what you ask."
Setsuka was taken aback, but only for a short moment. She leaned forward again, studying him with cruel eyes. She had no purpose for him, now that he refused to listen to her orders. Setsuka's hand strayed to the deep green gem on her neck; she started to smash it, but stopped suddenly. Her lips curled into a wicked smile- perhaps Tsuchi did still have his own uses. "Well, then, if that's how you feel..."
Setsuka's nails dug themselves into Tsuchi's chin, causing five lines of blood to trail down his neck. She literally grabbed him in that hold and held him close, snarling in his face. "Then you are a traitor! A traitor must be dealt with fittingly, and mercilessly!"
Tsuchi stared back. He was tight-lipped with pain, but refused to cry out. "Kill me, then."
Setsuka glared at him for a long moment, then threw back her head and laughed. "Baka! You silly, stupid child! Death is much, much too good for a wretch like you!" She fingered the green gem again, teeth glinting. "You still have uses, boy."
Setsuka pinched the gem between her fingers and pulled power from it. Now Tsuchi really did scream in pain, a blood-curdling sound that sent chills down the spine of any servants within hearing range. Setsuka released her hold on his chin, wiping the blood off her fingers contemptuously into his hair.
The Lady of Takkan continued to pull power out of the gem- not enough to kill him, of course, just enough to make him suffer. Tsuchi curled up in a tight ball, biting his lip so hard it bled. Setsuka strode to the door of her room, calling out to the nearest two servants. "You pair! Yes, you!"
"Uh, M'Lady?" one asked, curtsying slightly and looking past her at the young boy shivering in pain.
Setsuka didn't even bother looking at the Element. "Get this boy out of my sight. Down to his room. I never want to see his face again. Then, call the Head of the Palace Guard up to my room."
The servants did as their Lady said without question, picking Tsuchi up none-too-gently and carting him down the stairs as quickly as they could.
Setsuka released her hold on the gem when she decided the Element had had enough. She strode over to a mirror, gazing at her reflection with a sneer. Around her body glowed the faint aura of golden, orange, and silver ki, which were now accompanied by small flecks of green.
The Lady chuckled darkly. "So what if that seishi escaped? A couple of well-trained soldiers can track an amatuer girl down quite easily." She played with her necklace, eyes glinting sadistically. "In the end, this may work out even better for me. At least now I've rooted out another traitor, and taught him a lesson that he will most certainly be unable to forget for the rest of his short life."

It was a very pleased general that watched the Takkan Army continue its relentless attack on the disheartened Konan soldiers that morning, and on into the afternoon. Since a fourth of his force had been destroyed by the seishi, Hataku had taken a different approach to battle: instead of surrounding the city, he simply focused his attack on the northern wall. His archers stood in lines, directed by one of his captains on when to shoot, duck and reload.
"Those Konan soldiers must think its raining arrows," Hataku said with a smile. The general looked up at the sun, and couldn't help but chuckle a little at how easy this battle was becoming. "They really are nothing without their seishi. Ha, it's like battling children, now."
Hataku gaze turned to the east, where his latest attack plan was being hatched. The general had sent a group of five soldiers out to the southern wall to think up a way to get inside the walls. Since they couldn't go over, it seemed logical that they could, perhaps, go under. It was unlikely that the monk had built the barrier underground as well, after all.
The general leaned his back against a tree, well out of arrow range, and watched the show with the gleam of victory in his eyes.

"Oi, troups, let's get this done quick 'n' quiet-like."
"Yessir, cap'n."
The group of soldiers Hataku had been thinking of were at the corner of the south wall at that very moment. Since Akai and Aoi were both too out-of-sorts to think clearly about battle plans, and the other Konan leaders were all injured, nobody had given any thought to posting a sentry on the walls away from the battle.
The Takkan warriors couldn't believe their good luck. The leader, a captain by the name of Kawahito, swaggered up to the wall boldly, looking it up and down. "Hm, this'll be a good spot to start from, wouldn't you agree?"
Tori- the same soldier Hataku had reprimanded from before- raised an eyebrow. "Why d'we have t'bother with all this diggin', huh? I'm a soldier, not a tunneler. An' besides, looks t'me like we could scale these walls pretty easy, if we tried."
Kawahito curled his lip at the soldier. "That's why I'm a cap'n an' you aren't, pretty boy. There's a barrier that won't let us through, remember? You try t'touch that wall an' you'll get a nice little shock, b'lieve me."
The impudent soldier snickered, reaching out a finger and touching the stone wall. "I'm still waitin' for my little shock, cap'n!"
Kawahito's eyes widened in shock. He touched his own hands to the wall, expecting to get sent backwards by the thin red barrier that had always been there, but... "Well, I'll be damned."
"I wish y'were," Tori said with a small laugh. "Callin' me a pretty boy, when you didn't even notice that th' red glimmer's gone. Huh, some cap'n- yowch!"
Kawahito grabbed the unlucky young man by the ear. "Enough of your cheeky mouth, brat! We need t'report this back to General Hataku on the double. Come on, men, let's head on back."
"Yeek, ouch, leggo my ear, this's no way t'treat th' person who found out th' barrier was missin'!"

Chichiri slowly seeped back into consciousness just as the sun reached its zenith. He squinted his eye against the bright sunlight, trying to get his bearings. Obviously, he wasn't in the farmhouse anymore- or had that just been a dream?- and from the feel of it he was moving. It took Chichiri's fever-numbed mind a moment to figure out that he was on a horse, situated as comfortably as possible in front of Kiori.
Chichiri closed his eye, breathing in the sweet smells of spring. He didn't let the college girl know he was awake, not wanting to spoil the perfect tranquility of the afternoon. They travelled on in silence for several minutes, when Kenichi hit a small dip in the road and caused Chichiri to be jostled roughly.
"Kenichi, careful," Kiori hissed, not wanting to wake the monk up.
"Ouch," Chichiri winced. "Keep an eye out for potholes, ya know," he muttered to the horse.
Kiori heard him. "Chichiri!? You're awake?"
"Hai, ya know." He turned his eye so he could look up at her, squinting against the light.
Kiori's face broke into a smile. "Kamisama, arigatou! Otoo-san told me you'd woke up last night, but you hadn't stirred at all since then and I was starting to get a little worried... it's good to see you awake."
"It's good to be awake, ya know," he muttered with a small chuckle. Chichiri looked down again; the rays from the sun gave him a headache. "Where're we?"
"About half a day's ride outside of Takkan Palace," Kiori explained. She glanced over her shoulder nervously, feeling as if a group of soldiers would break from the undergrowth at any moment. "We haven't been going very fast, though- I didn't want to hurt you- so we've still got at least a day's ride ahead of us."
"Did you... th' palace..."
Kiori understood what he was saying. "Hai, Setsuka took you from the battlefield, but I got you back. Of course, I had a lot help..."
The college girl explained the story as best as she could, talking quietly to the injured monk. She decided not to mention Mizu- better to wait to hear about his connections to her when he wad feeling better.
Chichiri nodded sleepily from time-to-time, finding that he wasn't paying so much attention to her words as he was to the sound of her voice. It was surprisingly soothing, and helped him forget the small stabs of pain that laced through his abdomen everytime the horse jerked slightly.
Kiori smiled a little, moving Chichiri into a slightly more comfortable position as gently as possible. She could tell he was almost asleep, but kept talking anyway; he seemed to be enjoying her narrative.
"I'm not boring you, am I?" she asked after a moment.
"Iie," he murmured quietly, leaning his head against her and letting the sun warm his face. He shivered in spite of the nice weather. "I hope everyone else is all right, ya know..."
She chuckled. "Half-dead and you still only worry about everyone else. I'm sure they'll be all right; they don't think we'll be coming back alive, so they're probably depressed about that... but I can't wait to see the look on Tasuki-tachi's faces when the two of us come through those gates, alive and well..."
Kiori continued to talk quietly about whatever came to mind, until she was sure that he was asleep. She put a hand to his forehead, frowning unhappily. His fever was getting worse; though he seemed to be all right, she still knew she needed to get to the palace quickly.

Hataku listened to the soldiers' report, nodding every once in a while as they explained the new situation. The general felt a thin smile creeping onto his lips. "Not only is their spirit gone, but their barrier is as well..."
"Yessir!" Captain Kawahito said, bowing his head slightly. "I thought I ought to report right back t'you. Would you like us to continue with the tunnelin', or-"
"Forget that that plan ever existed," Hataku told him briefly. He glanced up at the wall, a new idea forming in his war-wise mind. "We'll scale the walls, instead. Quicker, easier. Go back to camp and get the grappling..."
The general trailed off slightly. He remembered that Setsuka's orders had not yet been changed. The crack of a whip echoed ominously in his mind; to follow through on his own plans, without her consent first, would be suicide.
Kawahito noticed that his commander had visibly paled. "Er, General Hataku?"
"Call off the army. They've had enough for one day- we'll make this our warning signal. I need to speak with her Ladyship, then we'll think about the next step."
The captain bowed swiftly, charging off down the lines and calling the order to back out for now.
Tori, the cheeky soldier, snickered quietly to his comrades. "Hehe, lookit General Hataku. Looks paler'n a ghost. Would'n' dare do nothin' without our precious Ladyship's word o' praise-" the general grabbed him roughly by the ear, cuffing the young man across the back of the head, "yowch!"

Ritsuka woke up late that afternoon. She blinked sleepily, wondering for a second if by some miracle everything that had happened in the past couple days was a horrible dream. The pain in her head, chest and heart told her otherwise; the redhead sighed heavily.
She sat up, stretching as much as she could without hurting her rib. Her eyes trailed through the dim room, the only light coming from a barely lit candle.
Tasuki was sitting on his bed, a dagger clasped between his thumb and forefinger. He had his head turned downwards, so his hair covered his eyes. The redheaded woman sensed that something wasn't right with her friend. "Tasuki-chan? You okay?"
"Should I be?" His voice was slurred- it was easy for Ritsuka to tell that he'd been drinking
"I don't know... you seem a little, well, depressed I guess."
"Why wouldn't I be?" He asked bitterly. "Chichiri's dead, ain't he?"
"Er, I mean, I understand why you would be, and all," Ritsuka explained. "It's just, last night, when I was... well, like that... you seemed to calm, so collected. The personality change is a little, I dunno, scary."
"Last night, I don't think I was quite ready to b'lieve it," he murmured. "Like, maybe I was dreamin' th' whole thing, or I was jus' too weak t'sense his ki, or somethin'..." He tossed the dagger up dangerously, catching it between his fingers, point down. "Only now... now I know, fer sure."
Ritsuka looked at him carefully, concern in her blue eyes. "You shouldn't do that with that knife. You're drunk, and if you keep tossing it up you might hurt yourself."
"What's it matter?" he asked darkly. He tossed the knife up again, ignoring the small cuts it left in his burned skin. "What's it matter if I hurt myself, or kill myself? All the seishi... y'know, I should be dead already. A long time ago, really." He sighed. "Chichiri saved my life that time, too."
The redheaded woman scrambled onto the bed and to his side, not liking the note of utter hopelessness in his voice. "Tasuki-chan..."
"Y'know, I can't help but look at this knife and think, 'I could join 'em.' Shit, it wouldn't even hurt that much. Be a lot less painful'n what everyone else had t'go through..." He closed his hand around the weapon, barely feeling the lances of pain that shot up his arm. "What've I got left t'live for, anyway?"
Ritsuka's hand curled around his, gently prying his fingers away from the blade. Carefully she took the edge of the blanket and wiped the blood off. "What've you got left to live for?" She set the hand back down on the bed gently. "Well, there's Koji, for starters. Then there's Akai, and Houki-sama. Konan, and Boshin-chan, too. Not to mention me."
His golden orbs met hers. Ritsuka was surprised at how much it wrenched her heart to see how dead and lifeless his eyes were. "You've got a lot to live for, Tasuki-chan. Chichiri would've wanted you to embrace it, not sit in here moping and thinking about suicide." Her blue eyes read real fear for a moment. "You wouldn't do something that dumb, right!? I mean, you know..."
"...Iie, I couldn't do that t'myself. Jus' ain't a part of my personality," he muttered quietly. "I just... can't help thinkin' it, I guess..."
"I know," she agreed, just as quietly. "Hell, if you hadn't come outside yesterday when you did..." Ritsuka, on a sudden impulse, hugged the seishi close to her, hoping to get some bit of comfort out of the hold.
Tasuki didn't pull away; he just sighed despairingly. "It hurts, Red. It hurts like hell."
She nodded. "I know. We all feel the same way."
"Iie," he disagreed. "It ain't the same. Fer me, it's like gettin' part of yer heart ripped out. Everytime one-a them dies... It's like I don't have nothin' left, now."
"You still have us," Ritsuka said quietly. "I know we can't understand everything, but... I'm here for you. So's Koji, and Akai and Houki-sama, too. We're not seishi, but we're part of your seven. Chichiri, Kiori... you aren't suffering alone, remember that."
Tasuki put his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes and allowing a couple of tears to trickle down his cheeks. "Arigatou."

Kiori watched the sun sink behind the trees. She pulled Kenichi over, deciding to rest for a couple of hours before starting off again. She was tired, but they needed to keep going- Chichiri seemed safe enough, but you could never be sure. "Besides," she told herself, covering a yawn. "There's less chance of soldiers catching you in the dark."
The college girl guided her horse away from the road, finding a nice place to rest and eat. She looked down at the sleeping monk- there was no way she'd be able to get him off unaided. Kiori shook his gently away. "Chichiri, Chichiri. C'mon, we're gonna take a break for a couple of hours."
His mahogany eye fluttered slowly open. "Kiori?"
"Yeah, remember?" she smiled a little. The college girl hopped off Kenichi, trying to decide how she was going to go about this. "Okay, I know I can't lift you down from the horse all on my own... do you think you can support yourself, a little bit?"
He nodded. "I think so. I didn't break or sprain an ankle or anything, ya know."
After a couple of failed attempts, Kiori managed to ease the monk gently off Kenichi's back and down to the ground. She helped him hobble over to a nearby tree, where he promptly dropped to the ground. The college girl propped him up against the tree, chuckling slightly.
He sighed. "Walking was never that difficult. Thanks for the help, ya know."
"No problem." Kiori went back to her food bag and pulled out a small canteen of water and some fruit that the RAFT members had packed for her. "Here," she handed him the water bottle. "Drink as much as you want. I'm not really thirsty."
Chichiri took a couple of sips, setting it down in his lap. "What's for dinner, Cook?"
Kiori laughed. "Burnt rice, if I really was a cook." She handed him an apple. "It's not Palace gormet, but it should hold you over for a while."
The monk took the apple, biting into it and nodding his appreciation. "How much farther to the palace, ya know?"
Kiori shrugged. "Oh, a night and half a day, if we keep the pace up. That's my best guess, anyway." She watched him carefully. "How're you feeling?"
He forced a small smile. "Okay."
Kiori put a hand to his forehead. "Didn't your mother ever tell you not to lie? You're on fire." The college girl frowned, looking into his eye carefully. "Well, you look all right, I guess, other than the fever. Tired?" A nod. "Dizzy?" Another small nod. She held up three fingers. "How many fingers?"
"Three," he chuckled weakly. "I'm hurt, not blind ya know."
Kiori took a small towel from her bag and drenched it with the rest of their water. "Here, just lay back and take it easy." Chichiri did as she said, using her lap at her bidding as a pillow. She put the cloth on his head, then proceeded to tighten up a few bandages here and there. The monk winced, but endured it quietly. He was just about to drift off to sleep again, when...
Four life forces, enemies. Chichiri's head snapped up, every muscle in his body tensing suddenly. He held up a finger, indicating for her to be quiet.
The college girl didn't have to wait long to understand his strange attitude. In less than a minute she heard the sound of horse hooves clopping down the trail nearby. She stiffened, peering through the foliage and hoping it was only a passing traveller.
"Gaw, we been travelin' all day! Let's take a rest, cap'n!"
"Ah, shut up! Yer a tracker, ain't ya? So give yer jaws a rest and give yer eyes a workout."
"Cap'n, we're pretty close to 'em as it is. See here, these tracks're fresh as can be, I promise ya that."
"I'll believe yer promises when we've found 'em. Now get t'work."
"Oi! Look here! The horse's trail leads off the side o' the road! Y'think they tried t'throw us off?"
"Unlikely. See, easily followed tracks through the brush. They're close by, you can bet that."
Kiori held her breath tensely. The soldiers were turning their way; if they got much closer they'd spot Kenichi, and the game would be up.
Chichiri's mind raced. He glanced up at Kiori, knowing perfectly well what would happen if they were caught. Kiori grabbed his hand, more to calm herself than him. "It's okay, whatever happens I'll stay here. I won't leave you to get caught by those jackals," she said quietly.
The monk's look softened slightly. He knew exactly what he had to do. Kiori looked down in time to see Chichiri put two fingers to his mouth and utter a low chant. "Chichiri, wait, you're too weak to..." she trailed off, not wanting to get the soldiers' attentions.
Chichiri focused all his energy and life force into making a barrier, one that when the soldiers looked at it, they'd only see the underbrush. Kiori saw the light red field surround them, sure that the enemy could see it as well.
"Hey, where'd the tracks go?" one asked, searching the forest. "It looks like they should be right 'ere..."
"Well, if they're 'ere then where're they!?" the captain demanded. "The trail just ends!"
"I tol' you this was a trick! Konan Warriors is sneaky!" one told them.
"Aw quit your bickering!" the fourth and final member snapped. "Obviously we been tricked by a clever little lady, but she can't hide forever. They're probably further into the forest. Let's take a look."
"Oi, Cap'n, can we stop t'eat first? I'm starvin'."
"Hai, y'can eat a big tasty arrow if we go back empty-handed!" the captain growled. "Further this way, c'mon men, b'fore the sun sets and we really have trouble."
Kiori didn't think she took a single breath until the soldiers had disappeared into the surrounding foliage- the exact opposite way she was headed. The college girl sighed in relief.
Chichiri barely managed to keep the barrier up; as soon as they were out of sight the red shield came down. The monk slumped down, struggling to stay awake. Kiori felt his ki sink lower than it had in over a day; her eyes went back down to her patient. "Chichiri?"
"Tell Tasuki I'm sorry," he whispered, then collapsed in a dead faint.
"Chichiri? Chichiri?" Kiori hissed, desperately praying for him to wake up. He didn't respond. She saw his lips move slowly, forming a word that she couldn't understand. The college girl put a hand to his forehead, eyes widening in surprise. "He's on fire... cold sweat, too." Panic overtook her for a moment; she shook him gently. "Chichiri! Chichiri! C'mon, wake up, we need to get moving and I can't lift you on my own."
His eye fluttered open. The feeling of relief was short-lived; he looked about to faint completely. "K'ran?"
"Kiori," she corrected. 'God, he's hallucinating!' she wanted to scream. "Listen, those trackers might come back- agh, why'd you have to do that!?- we need to get moving, right away."
"He needs water. He's dehydrated, and he needs something to cool him down," a voice- the same one that had whispered to her about Mitsubalm on her first day as a "doctor," oddly enough- seemed to speak quietly in her ear.
Kiori nodded, not caring where the voice had come from. She picked up her water bottle, then remembered it was empty. Dimly, she thought she heard the faint gurgling of a stream. "I'll be right back, okay? I need to get us some more water, then we're gonna head out."
He closed his eye again with a soft groan, managing a tiny nod to show that he understood.
The college girl raced cautiously through the trees, keeping her eyes open for the Takkan trackers and following her ears to a small creek. She filled the bottle up in a hurry, screwing the cap on as she ran back to the clearing. As the college girl broke through the clearing, she froze for a second.
Was she dreaming? It LOOKED like a broad-shouldered man was crouching next to her friend. He had his hand on the monk's forehead, and looked concerned. He glanced up at her, frowning.
Kiori blinked; when she opened her eyes the ghostly apparition was gone. "Okay, the stress is making me see things. That's lovely..."
"Hurry."
The girl looked around, but saw no one. She sighed. "I don't have time for this." Kiori ran up to Chichiri, forcing him to wake up again. She practically shoved water down his throat, then wet the towel from earlier. "Chichiri, don't go to sleep again just yet. We need to get going again- you're in pretty bad shape. You think you can get to your feet, and help me get you across to Kenichi?" The barest hint of a nod. "Arigatou."
The college girl wasn't quite sure how she did it, but somehow she managed to hoist the half-conscious monk back onto her horse's back. She hopped on after him, getting him in a more comfortable position and kicking Kenichi into a trot.
Chichiri moaned softly, holding his side with his uninjured arm. Kiori placed the damp towel on his forehead, trying to hold him still with one arm while she steered with the other. "Gomen ne, Chichiri, but we have to hurry. If we don't..." she shivered. "I can't think about what might happen."

Ritsuka sat down at the dinner table wordlessly. She glanced up at Akai and Aoi, both of whom looked about to faint. "Tough battle?"
"War really is Hell," Aoi mumbled through a bite of rice.
Koji took a swig of tea, looking around. "Is Genrou with you?"
The college girl shook her head. "He said he wasn't hungry. That he wanted to be alone, for a while." She sighed, stirring her fried noodles with her chopsticks. For the first time in her life, her appetite was completely gone. "Personally, I think that's the LAST thing he needs, but I respected his decision." Akai sighed. "Tasuki-sama's taking this pretty hard, isn't he?"
"It's not everyday you lose a brother," Ritsuka said quietly.
Koji slid his half-finished plate back. "Where is he?"
"Uh, he told me he was gonna take a walk down to the pond. I guess he'd be around there," Ritsuka explained. "Why? You gonna go talk to him or something?"
The bandit leader nodded and piled some food onto a plate. "Bring him some dinner, too. Genrou ain't eaten in a couple-a days- even if his appetite is gone he still has t'eat somethin'."
Koji trotted out the door. He followed his instincts, veering away from the pond and back towards his friend's room. He smiled; sure enough, there was a ladder a few yards away from the seishi's room leading up to the roof. "I know you way too well, Genrou."
The Konan Warrior took the ladder two rungs at a time, wincing a little as his caked-over wound threatened to open again. He pulled himself over the ledge, glancing around. He found Tasuki not too far away, sitting and looking at the moon. "Hey, Genrou."
Tasuki didn't bother looking back. "Hey, Koji."
The bandit leader scrabbled across the tiles, sitting down next to his friend. "Figured you'd be up here. You used t'go up to th' roof when you wanted t'be alone back on Reikaku."
He managed the barest hint of a smile. "Yeah, you'd always interrupt me there, too."
Koji followed his friend's gaze to the star-strewn night sky. He set the tray in Tasuki's lap; the seishi took a couple of bites half-heartedly. After a few minutes of silence, Koji spoke. "You gonna be okay?"
"Hai," Tasuki muttered. "Th' doctor said th' burns oughta heal up scar-free, and my shoulder'll be all right in a couple-a weeks."
Koji shook his head. "That ain't what I meant. I was talkin' about, y'know, Chichiri an' all."
"Oh. That," Tasuki set his tray down, small appetite suddenly vanishing. "I can't make any promises about that one, Koji." He clenched his fist angrily. "You know, everytime I been in trouble that monk was always around t'get me outta it. And yet, the one time he needed me t'help him, I didn't do a damn thing. Even back when we were fightin' Hikou, Taka was th' one who thought up that plan. I just stood there, like an idiot..."
"There wasn't nothin' you COULD do, Genrou," Koji reminded him, grabbing his friend's cup of tea and taking a quick sip. "None of us could. Chichiri knew what was gonna happen, an' he did it anyway."
"I know, it's just..." Tasuki sighed, putting his chin in his hands. "I wish I could just, y'know, get a chance to go back and kill Tsuki, make things happen the way they shoulda."
"Well, Genrou, if wishes were bottles-a sake I'd be a very happy man," Koji said with a slight chuckle. "Y'can't change the past, so you shouldn't worry about it. Y'can't ferget it, but y'can't live in it." Tasuki said nothing. The bandit leader frowned. He pointed upwards suddenly. "That's yer constellation, ain't it? The one that's shinin' the brightest?" A nod. "Why's it so bright, d'ya know?"
"Prob'ly means I'm th' only one still alive," he grumbled unhappily.
"Right th' first time," Koji agreed. He punched his friend's uninjured shoulder. "So what're you so mopy about? Where there's life, there's hope. Chichiri died to save us, so we c'd keep fightin' an' win, Suzaku willin'."
"You just don't get it," Tasuki said, sighing again.
"Listen, I know what happened was tougher on you then it was on everyone else, but you gotta keep yer chin up. Th' others depend on you, now, you know that. Someone's gotta lead us t'victory. I can't do it, I already got some people to lead. Akai can't do it, she wouldn't feel right bossin' around us older members. Ritsuka and Houki-sama can't do it, either, one bein' too tactless an' the other too gentle. That leaves you."
Tasuki looked away. "Y'think we c'n really win this thing, now?"
"No doubt in my mind, pal," Koji told him, smiling slightly. "We're gonna try our damndest anyway... if only for him. That's what he'd want... ya know?"
The seishi couldn't help but smile a little. "Koji... that was good."
"Ah, you woulda done th' same fer me," the bandit said, swinging an arm around his friend's shoulder. "Now c'mon, what say you 'n' me go raid the kitchens fer some sake, get ourselves good 'n' drunk, an' have a nice little sleep-in fer the battle that's sure t'come in a few days?"
"Believe it or not, that's the best idea I've heard all day."

Kiori rode hard across the plains all that night and into the next day, not bothering to stop for more than a minute or so to refill the water bottle. She called out to Chichiri constantly, but he didn't seem to be responding anymore. His ki was getting weaker by the minute, and the college girl was helpless to stop it.
"Please, please hang on Chichiri!" she murmured, tears in the corners of her eyes.
The monk's eyelid didn't even twitch. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. Chichiri had been battling hard for almost four days against devastating odds- it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he would start to lose.
'His energy's drained almost completely, he doesn't have the strength to fight,' she thought to herself. 'Even if I had the right sort of medicines to keep fevers down, it might not do much good.'
Kiori kicked Kenichi into the fastest trot she could without causing the monk too much pain. There was still one last option, but she couldn't risk it out here- if things went wrong, and there was no one around to help...
"Keep fighting, Chichiri," she whispered, "at least until we get to the palace. I'll save you, then, but until that time this is your own battle."

Wandering through the depths of his subconscious, Chichiri lost track of time. Numbly, he wondered if he was even alive anymore. He thought about the other seishi, Kouran, and Hikou. If he was dead, then he'd be able to meet up with them again.
'But Kiori... Tasuki... minna...'
Strange, how his thoughts kept turning to the college girl. Dimly he thought he could still hear her voice, calling him out of the darkness and back towards life. He fought gamely on, encouraged by the faint sounds of a familiar voice.

As the sun rose gradually to peak in the spring sky, Takkan soldiers came awake. They had celebrated most of the night with drinking, gambling and other games; "first victory" was typically considered a time for partying. Hataku allowed the soldiers to enjoy themselves, feeling good about the war for the first time in a while.
The general strolled through the camp, getting friendly smiles and waves from all of his men. Hataku chuckled quietly to himself, grinning sincerely back at them and making small-talk. "Ah, Naro, how's that arm of yours? Healing up pretty good, I'm sure? Tori, you young scamp, you drank so much last night I didn't expect to see you awake for another three years! Captain Kawahito, nicely ran gambling booth yesterday- you took Utara for all he had, haha!"
Yes, things were finally starting to go the general's way, and he couldn't be happier. The army was once again completely loyal to him and his leadership abilities- there was no doubt in his mind that if he asked them to attack Setsuka herself they would go along with the plan whole-heartedly.
Concealed in the undergrowth, Setsuka watched the general angrily. She understood things as well as he did, and along with her concerns about the escape of the prisoner it only made her mood fouler. The Lady clenched a fist angrily, teleporting back to the palace and vowing that she would finish Hataku before he had a chance to overthrow her.

The dying monk smiled slightly, muttering under his breath. "Heh, we had s'm good battles, didn't we, N'riko? Too bad... had t'end eventually..."
Kiori bit her lip until it bled. "Kamisama, help him, he's at the gates of death."
The college girl looked up, heart rising slightly. Above the trees and backed by a gorgeous sunset rose the palace. Konan was in sight; if Chichiri could just hang on for ten minutes or so...
"Kiori... Tasuki... I'm sorry..."
"That's right, Chichiri, think about us, me and Tasuki-tachi," she encouraged, gripping her sash so hard her knuckles turned white. "Fight back, I know you can do it. Just a little bit longer..."

The shadows lengthened across the city of Konan as the second day of mourning passed gradually by. The city, despite it's troubles, was seeing one of its greatest springtime sunsets. The shades of violet, red and orange cast a magnificent backdrop to the palace's western wall; in all aspects it seemed to be a wonderful end to a beautiful day.
Tasuki wasn't enjoying the sunset. Rather, the lone seishi sat up on the north wall of Konan, frowning slightly. He stared out at the shadows of the forest, as if looking for something.
"Oh, so this is where you got to."
The seishi turned around. The four other Konan warriors stood behind him, smiling sadly. Ritsuka had been the one who had spoken. "We were wondering where you disappeared. Then Koji thought..."
"Koji knows me WAY too damn well." The bandit flashed a thumbs-up. "That's my job, pal." He took a seat next to Tasuki. "How's everything?"
Tasuki rolled his shoulder experimentally. "Okay," he said distractedly, eyes never leaving the darkening line of trees to the northwest.
Houki watched him carefully. "Is something troubling you, Tasuki? I mean to say, other than..."
He nodded slightly, eyes narrowing as he peered hard into the trees. "When I woke up today- er, after I took some antidote for my hangover, that is-" Koji chuckled, "I started sensin'... somethin'."
"Like what?" Akai wanted to know, following his gaze.
"I dunno," he admitted with a small sigh. "Like... odd as it sounds... like a part-a me was comin' back." He shrugged, golden eyes never once leaving the horizon. "Are you still alive, Chichiri?" he asked quietly.
Ritsuka heard him. She sighed heavily, leaning over and whispering loudly to her comrades. "The stages, you know. Anger, depression, denial..."
"I'm serious!" Tasuki snapped. He put two fingers to his Suzaku symbol. "Chichiri, are you there? C'mon, you suicidal monk..."
There was no answer; only a small pulse of a life force. Still, even that little bit of a beat urged Tasuki to keep trying.
Ritsuka watched him with concerned blue eyes. "Tasuki-chan, it's not-"
Koji hushed her, watching his friend curiously. "Don't bother, Red. He has t'figure it out on his own."

"Chichiri, are you there?"
"Tasuki..."
Kiori saw the monk's symbol glow faintly through his pant leg. She kept a firm grip on him and urged Kenichi to go a bit faster. "That's right, Tasuki, you reach him and I'll reach him. Keep at it, Chichiri!"

Akai's sharp violet eyes caught sight of the horse riding across the plains. She gasped softly. "That's my horse."
Three heads snapped her way; Tasuki was still concentrating on connecting with his friend. "Nani!?"
The warrior girl leapt up, running down the stairs and laughing at the same time. "My horse, that wonderful animal! Never thought I'd see him OR her again..."
Houki looked at her strangely. "What are you talking about, Akai?"
She whirled on the steps. "Don't you see? I loaned Kiori my horse!" Akai turned again and raced down, sword banging at her side. "She's back, and if she's back, then HE'S back!"
Realizing just what the warrior girl was saying, Houki gathered her skirts in one hand and trotted after Akai as fast as she could, Koji lending her an arm as he kept pace with the enthusiastic Emperess. "Oh, it is too good to be true! Could Chichiri really be alive?"
"We'll find out soon enough, won't we yer Highness?" Koji said with a joyful chuckle.
Ritsuka squinted through the growing darkness, shaking her head. "Impossible. Still..." she tugged on Tasuki's arm. "Hey, Tasuki-chan, you coming or what?"
The seishi came back to reality with a start. He looked out at the approaching figure, then up at the college girl, who offered him a hand up. He took it, grunting slightly at the movement. "Red, d'you think..." he looked out. "D'you think it's...?"
Neither could dare answer, in fear that they'd be sorely mistaken. Limping hand-in-hand, the duo made their way down the stairs after their speedy friends.

Kiori found the main gates held wide open as she neared them, five figures standing in the gates. As far as she was concerned, they were angels welcoming her to heaven. "Koji, Akai, Tasuki, Ritsuka, Houki-sama!"
The college girl raised a fist, feeling her heart rise in her chest. At the same time, Chichiri gasped a shallow, ragged breath and his ki plummeted. Kiori dashed through the gates, pulling up just in time to shout, "Ritsuka, hop on. Tasuki, race me back to the palace. Chichiri's going to die if you don't. The rest of you better run fast!"
Her orders were followed without question, though Koji wondered with a chuckle how she expected him to run fast in his condition. Tasuki ignored all previous wounds and made a mad dash for the palace, keeping right alongside Ritsuka, Kiori and Chichiri.
"Kiori, what, how, where..." Ritsuka stammered breathlessly, hanging onto her friend and wincing slightly everytime the horse hit a small ditch.
"Not much time to explain, Ritsuka," Kiori said out of the corner of her mouth. "C'mon Kenichi, hurry!"
The redhead looked over her friend's shoulder at Chichiri. His breath rose and fell in shallow, ragged gasps. He looked pale, too pale to be healthy. "Kiori, will he...?"
The college girl couldn't answer even if she wanted to; they had reached the palace. Kiori dashed up the long stairs, pulling to a hasty halt in front of the first room she came to. Kiori hopped off, helping Ritsuka down and bading she and Tasuki to help her unload the monk. "Quick, get him through there, onto the floor. Careful, he's got some busted ribs."
The trio of friends managed to lift Chichiri somewhat awkwardly from his mount, carting him through the doors to the room- a typical living area- and dropping him gently onto the floor.
"He gonna be all right?" Tasuki asked, panting heavily. He sunk to the ground next to Kiori and Chichiri looking at his friend with anxiously. "He'll be okay, right Kiori?"
She shook her head. "Not if I don't do something fast. His energy's drained- he saved our lives out in the forest, by almost sacrificing himself."
"Again?" Ritsuka asked with a touch of fond exhasperation in her voice. "Okay, what do we gotta do?"
Kiori's green eyes held a small suicidal light in them. "Someone needs to transfer their ki into him. It's the absolute last resort, but it's the only thing that'll save him, now."
"I'll do it!" Tasuki said immediately. "Just tell me what t'do an' I'll-"
Kiori shook her head. "The two of you are too weak, plus you've never done it before. By 'someone', I meant me."
"Wait, Kiori, you can't!" Ritsuka protested. "Remember last time? What if you can't control it? What if it kills you both?"
The college brunette stared at her friend, eyes hard and determined. "If I don't, he'll die anyway. I have to, Rits', it's his only chance."
The redhead tried to say something to argue, but thought better of it. She glanced between Tasuki and Kiori, seeing the same anxious, caring looks on both their faces. She sighed; there was that heart of hers that she was supposed to listen to. "Oh, all right. Ganbare, Kiori."
Kiori put a hand on the monk's arm, hoping she wasn't going to mess it up this time, like she did the last time. Still, there was always that chance. "Ritsuka?"
"Hai?"
"If I look like I'm not controlling it... if one of us screams..." she shuddered a little at the thought of putting Chichiri through any more pain then he was already in. "Do anything you can to stop me. Pinch me, hit me... stab me if you have to. Don't let me kill him."
Ritsuka nodded, looking about as uncomfortable about the idea as she felt. Kiori closed her eyes, preparing herself for the tricky ki-transferring. A strong hand caught her sleeve; the girl looked up.
Tasuki's eyes met hers, and for the first time Kiori saw real fear in his golden orbs. "Kiori... please... I can't lose him twice. I can't."
The girl's eyes softened; Tasuki cared about Chichiri as much as she did, maybe more. "Me too, Tasuki. I'll save him, somehow. I promise you that."
No time for putting it off anymore. Her eyes closed again, and she concentrated all her power into pouring her ki into the nearly lifeless monk. Kiori had learned her lesson; this time, she fed her energy in bit by bit, until she felt that Chichiri had enough energy to survive, but she did as well.
After what felt like an hour, Kiori's lids fluttered open tiredly. Looking down at Chichiri, noticing that he was breathing normally. His troubles features had gone back to a more peaceful, calm look. She'd done it.
Kiori glanced up; Koji, Akai and Houki were there as well. Akai and Ritsuka were both chewing on their nails; Koji was trying to be confident, but doing a very bad job at it; Houki wrung her hands in nervous impatience.
Tasuki was staring straight at her, face drawn tight with anxiety. "W-well?"
She smiled in utter exhaustion, completely drained from the tiring task, and slid back onto the floor. Her head was leaning just slightly on Chichiri's arm as she felt herself drifting off to sleep. She managed to mutter one word: "Safe."

"'The unusual heroine closed her green eyes, energy drained from the final effort that had saved their seishi friend. As the sun sank beneath the horizon, the five Konan Warriors exchanged looks that mingled feelings of relief, respect for their friend, and above all: joy.'" Keisuke sighed gratefully, while Tetsuya couldn't help but let out a small cheer. "End Chapter Eleven."

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~
Koji: Well, the seven's back t'gether, an' Takkan's lost itself two more Elements. Heh, I bet ol' Setsuka's really steamin' in that palace-a hers!
Even so, things ain't as easy as I wish they were. We're still out three warriors, and that Takkan army just don't give up! Ah, don't worry about it Chichiri, Genrou, Red! Akai, Aoi an' I can handle these clowns!
Hey, but wait a sec... c'mon Kiori, d'ya really think th' middle of a war is a good time t'be flirtin'!?
The Next Episode of Fushigi Yuugi: The Next Chapter: "The Seed of Love? Deadly Games Between Allies!"
I just don't believe this...
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~